The Princess of Tennis
by Smooshiee
Summary: And they never saw it coming.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis does not belong to me.

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry for any tennis errors. I know absolutely squat about tennis and became interested because of PoT. Hehe. But yeah, go ahead and flame me for that. I don't care. People are allowed to write stories on here if they want. For those of you who can tolerate my meager tennis knowledge, read on and enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Slosh

Slosh

Slosh

Sweat trickled down her face in warm little streams as it mixed with the cold rain falling from above. Sakuno was dripping wet, her tennis uniform clinging to her in a manner that didn't leave much to the imagination. In her hand she held a tennis racket, which she used to repeatedly hit a tennis ball back and forth between her and the brick wall she was facing.

Slosh

Slosh

Determination radiated in her eyes as she began to put more force into her swings. '_Stay loose, bend your knees, and keep your eyes on the ball…_' the mantra was repeated in her head over and over as the sopping wet ball slapped the same spot on the wall over and over again… Just like a certain tennis prodigy had done so many years back… '_No time to be thinking about that now, I have to focus on my swings. This rain is slowing down my ball- I need to put more speed into it_.' Sakuno panted harder as fatigue began to wear away at her shoulders. It hurt. No, it burned. Burned with a fury that threatened to tear of her arm if she insisted on continuing. And she did.

Slosh

Slosh

'_I have to get better_,' she panted, 'I'm still not good enough.' Sakuno felt her world blur before her. Stopping for a second, she rubbed her eyes and put her racket down. At that moment, an intense pain ripped through her body, causing the young girl to sink to her knees. "Ah!" she cried out and grasped at her shoulder. It was throbbing. She hissed. This would surely interfere with her practice. She sighed and sat down. It was time for a little break. Sumire was out of town on business and wouldn't be back until tomorrow, leaving Sakuno to tend the house by herself. It was a bit lonely, so she decided to practice a little.

She began the first half hour by running laps and doing stretches, and then switched to hitting the ball back and forth between her and the wall, before going back to running and stretches. She alternated the activities in that manner so she wouldn't get bored doing just one thing for a long time. About two hours after she started, it started raining, but Sakuno was too busy training to notice. All her mind was set on was tennis.

Sakuno was seventeen years old now. It had been five years. Five years since the day she met that boy.

Ryoma Echizen had just turned eighteen, his birthday having passed not even a month ago, and was going on to further his tennis career. He had already won all the junior grand slams numerous times. He was rich, good looking, athletic, and ranked pretty highly in the world of tennis- and at such a young age too. He had become the idol for many aspiring players, as well as the source for them to lose inspiration ironically. Any match that Ryoma entered, everyone already knew the outcome. It was still fun to watch the other person get pummeled, Fuji would always say. Some things never changed. The ex-Seigaku regulars and Sumire couldn't have been prouder…even Sakuno felt happy for him.

But along with the happiness came sadness.

She missed him dearly. Sakuno hadn't seen Ryoma since he left all those years ago, except occasionally on the television. Hell, who was she kidding? _Occasionally_? That boy was a freaking celebrity now! Nearly every news channel broadcasted him, and the Japanese ESPN was overcome with Ryoma fever. Commercials featuring him played on every channel. He was a living legend! It wasn't every day that an eighteen year old was able to win all four junior grand slams three times in a row.

Despite the years that had gone by, Sakuno still harbored that crush for him. Why? She didn't know. She just…did. He probably didn't remember her, but it didn't matter. Her being in his memory would probably only hinder him. It was better if he had fewer things in his mind so he could focus on tennis more.

Ryoma returned to Japan occasionally to participate in a tournament or visit up on his family and the ex-Seigaku regulars and old friends like Satoshi and Sumire- even Tomoka, but not Sakuno. Every time he returned, she was never at his welcome back parties. It wasn't as if she hated him… it's just, she thought it better if she left him alone, and better if she _didn't_ see him at all. The reunion would probably have caused all her emotions locked up from long ago to spill out. Besides, Ryoma had enough fan girls as it was.

Also, if he truly wanted to see her then he should have sought her out…but he didn't…

Sakuno shook her head. This was not the time to be thinking about him. She still had to finish up practice. "Good tennis players can play no matter what the weather or terrain," she said to herself as she thought of all the times Ryoma would continue a game whether rain came down in torrents or if the sun burned with sweltering heat. The rain suddenly pounded harder and Sakuno had to stop to squeeze excess water out of her hair and clothes. '_Here we go again…_'

Slosh

Slosh

"Achoo!" she sneezed. Goosebumps prickled at her skin. Could she be getting a cold? "Mada mada da ne," she whispered.

Slosh

A cold wind ripped past, throwing the ball off course and chilling her damp clothing. She felt her knees buckle. "I can't stop now…six hours of practice isn't barely enough…"

Slosh

"Must…continue…"

Slosh

"Mada…mada…da ne…"

Slosh

Suddenly, Sakuno felt her face grow hot and her hand turn limp. She sank to her knees and burst into a coughing fit. '_Wha…What's happening to me…?_' Her mind ached as if something was trying to claw its way out. "Itai…" she whimpered and fell over in a crumpled heap, the tennis ball in her hand rolled away solemnly. Sakuno shook as another coughing fit attacked her lungs, but this time a dark red liquid accompanied it. Slowly, the world began to darken…

"**Sakuno-chan!"

* * *

**

"Sakuno-chan, can you hear me? Sakuno-chan, are you okay? Sakuno-chan?"

A somewhat loud voice hovered over a sleeping Sakuno fretfully. Slowly, the object of interest began to stir as Sakuno groaned. She had a splitting headache, and her body felt like it was made out of rust and would break the minute she rose.

"Sakuno-chan? Ah! You're awake! Thank goodness…"

"Ngh," Sakuno grunted as her eyelids lifted and she strained to make out the face of whoever was leaning over her, "Nani…? W-Who…Tomoka-c-chan?"

"You poor thing," the redhead's face softened, "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Sakuno instantly regretted lying. She winced as a painful jolt spread down her right shoulder.

Tomoko pursed her lips, "Yeah right. You look like a mess! Tsk, tsk, think of what could have happened if I hadn't had come along."

'_If she hadn't had…Oh! That's right!_' Instantly, Sakuno snapped upright and stared with wide, amber eyes. The rain, the practicing, the fatigue, and the blood in her cough… it all came back to her… "Tomoko-chan," she started, "What happened?" As her mind began to clear, Sakuno noticed that the bed she was in wasn't hers, and that the stark white surroundings resembled that of a hospital's.

"Hm?" her friend blinked, "You mean you don't remember? Well, I went to the store to pick something up for my mom, and as I was walking home I passed by the tennis courts and saw you by one of the walls. You were on your knees and your shoulders were shaking, and then you collapsed. I dropped all my stuff and ran to you. You had a fever and it looked like you were gasping for air."

Sakuno's eyes widened, "…R-Really? Wow…" Did she really work herself _that _hard?

"Yup," Tomoko continued, "And you scared me half to death. I thought you were dying or something. I called the ambulance and they took you here. You were asleep for a few hours. They said you worked yourself too hard, and in the rain nonetheless, and caught a pretty bad cold. Doctors said it looks like pneumonia. Luckily, they gave you some medicine and it's still in the early stages so you should be fine in a few days."

"That's good to hear," Sakuno smiled half-heartedly. '_How could I have fainted? I'm so weak…I'll never get anywhere…_'

"But you know," Tomoko sat next to the brunette, "After the ambulance left, I went to collect your stuff, and you know what I found? On the wall near where you collapsed, there was tennis equipment. Any explanation behind that?"

"…"

"Your tennis ball looked really beat up, like a balloon that had lost most of its air. Also, look at your right hand. It's bandaged. The doctors said you rubbed them raw. Now, I wonder what you could have with tennis equipment to beat up a tennis ball, and rub your hand raw."

"…"

"Sakuno-chan, you were practicing tennis again, weren't you?"

"…H-Hai…" she whispered shyly.

"NANI?" Tomoko screamed with a might that could have awoken the dead, "Are you kidding me? In weather like that? That's crazy! Why I oughta- how long were you practicing for?" she demanded with the stern look a mother would give her daughter.

Sakuno shifted uncomfortably, "A-Ano…about s-six hours…" she could never really lie to Tomoko. The redhead would always see through them. And having that pressure on her made her revert back to her old, Sakuno-stuttering ways.

"**NANI?"**

Alright, if that earlier scream didn't wake the dead, this one probably did.

"S-SIX HOURS? In that FREEZING rain? My god, Sakuno Ryuzaki, have you completely and utterly lost your mind? Are you kidding me, not even that tennis-obsessed **Ryoma Echizen** would ever think of anything as stupid and crazy as-"

"Shh!" Sakuno quickly threw her hands over her friend's lips, "O-Onegai, Tomoko-chan, not too loud."

"Hmph!" she waved Sakuno's hand away, "Telling me to be quiet after I'm expressing my obvious concern for your health?" She crossed her arms and sighed, "But just tell me why you were out practicing in the rain for six hours." Though she had settled down, she was still upset, and Sakuno noticed.

She gulped, "W-Well, I don't really know. I was just thinking about tennis and how I barely improved since I started, and how bad a player I was. I just felt like I wanted to change that… I don't know; it's hard to explain."

"I see…" Tomoko nodded. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "Sakuno-chan, do you really think you're a bad player?" She held up a hand to prevent Sakuno from answering, "Listen, after the ambulance took you to the hospital, I noticed a dent the size of a tennis ball on a wall near where you fainted. Sakuno-chan, you hit that ball so hard and in the same place so many times it left a **dent** there. Don't you see? No average person could have done that!"

Sakuno was silent. Absentmindedly, she fiddled with the linen wrapped about her palm.

"Even though you think you haven't changed, I do. You might not see it, but you've become a great player- hell, you might even give Fuji-senpai or Tezuka-senpai a run for his money. I mean seriously, your form is practically perfect, and your serves are so fast I can barely keep up with the ball! They go faster than a bullet! Okay, fine, so I'm probably exaggerating, but the point is, you've evolved into a great player, Sakuno-chan. Then again, your grandma is Sumire-san… the one who trained Ryoma, his dad, and the ex-Seigaku regulars."

"You know what I think?" an evil smirk crept upon Tomoka's lips, "I think you're good enough to go _pro_."

Sakuno choked, "W-What?! P-Pro? Tomoka-chan, do you have a fever?"

The redhead waved her off, "Your birthday is coming up in a few days. Tell you what, how about we celebrate your eighteenth birthday by entering you in your first tournament, ne?"

At this Sakuno burst into such a violent coughing fit that Tomoka had to rush and fetch her a glass of water. The cool liquid was received with much gratification by the victim. As soon as a few large gulps of the glass was downed, Sakuno turned to face a sly-looking redhead. "You can't possibly be serious, Tomo-chan!" Sakuno said.

"Ohoho," Tomoka smirked, "But I am. Listen, a new tournament is opening up for both amateurs and pros. Because it's new, not much prize money is involved, but a few scouts from major tennis companies are attending to see if there's any potential players they can endorse. This could be your chance to go pro, Sakuno!"

The said girl blinked. Was she kidding? "No. Absolutely, positively no." But something about Tomoka's eyes made Sakuno feel unsure… as if the redhead had planned this out in advance…

"Whaa?" Tomoka whined, "But this could be your chance! Come on, Sakuno! Trust me on this one, please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because, no."

"But Sakuno-chaann, I've already filled out your entry form and submitted a check as entry fee for you, and with my own bank account, I'll have you know."

It took the brunette a few moments to register the information.

"N-NANI?" Sakuno began grasping desperately for her glass of water. "Y-You can't possibly be s-serious!"

Tomoka pouted and gave her that look that told she wasn't lying, "Mou, I was planning to surprise you for your eighteenth birthday, but I guess it's better if I tell you now. I entered you in that tournament because I really think you have what it takes to go pro, Sakuno-chan. Also, they're coming out with a new method of play called 'Mixed Singles' in which a male can now play a woman in a singles game. Instantly, I thought maybe if you became pro you could one day face Ryoma in a tournament, instead of watching him on the TV all the time. Sounds good, huh, Sakuno-chan? So what do you say? Eh? Oi, Sakuno-chan?" Tomoka turned to look at her friend.

But the poor girl had fainted.

* * *

**Author's Note:** My first Prince of Tennis fic, as you can see. I hate how they portray Sakuno in the anime however, since her tennis skills are about as good as a piece of dirt's, but in the manga she actually shows some promising talent. So you could say this story's basing off of her manga talent, but using her anime's personality. Yupyup, that's pretty much all I have to say. Leave reviews, won't you? Arigatou.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis does not belong to me.

**Author's Note: **Ah, thank you all so much for the reviews! Please, do leave more; it'll help me write quicker. Hehe. Enjoy!

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**Chapter Two**

"No."

"Mou, Sakuno-chan, you're being so immature!"

"I said no. I refuse to believe it."

"Well, whatever. The truth of the matter is that I've already signed you up and paid with my own money, and even if we withdraw they'll still keep a considerable amount of my money as payment for the trouble they went through entering you and then taking you out. Are you willing to let my good money go to waste?"

"…"

"Besides, I already phoned up all our old friends like Horio and the ex-Seigaku regulars and told them to attend your first tournament. Tezuka-buchou and Inui-senpai had to pull lots of wires to make that day free for them. You want that to go to waste too?"

"N-Nani?!" Sakuno felt another faint attack coming on, "T-Tomo-chan, exactly h-how much did you do?"

The redhead frowned, "I did this all because I believed in Sakuno-chan… Bah, you've gone and made me ruin everything! This was supposed to be a surprise for Sakuno-chan, but now you've made me reveal all the details! Gosh, and I was so excited too."

The brunette looked at her hands and her expression softened, "Gomen, Tomo-chan. It's just that…this is so abrupt. I mean I've never really been part of any team or entered any competition."

"Daijoubu, daijoubu, you'll be fine." Tomoka smiled reassuringly.

Sakuno sighed heavily. She was still totally against the whole tournament idea, but it was too much trouble to withdraw. I mean, people already took time off their busy schedules just to watch her first tournament, and Tomo-chan already paid for her and everything. It would be rude and selfish of her to demand a change… But then again, there was no real proof that Tomo-chan actually _did_ all that stuff… Ha-ha! There might actually be a chance for her to slip out after all!

"Ne, Tomo-chan?" Sakuno propped herself up and faced her best friend.

"Hai?" the girl turned towards her with a bright, ruddy face adorned by a huge grin. She looked so happy, as if she just achieved a great accomplishment.

Sakuno felt her face melt and heart prickle. Tomo-chan was only looking out for Sakuno's best interests, and if Sakuno contradicted her, then her plan would come falling to pieces and break Tomoka's heart. It was too much for the young Ryuzaki to bear. Instead, Sakuno plastered a fake smile on her face, "Nevermind."

Besides, just one tournament couldn't hurt…could it?

* * *

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Sakuno-chan, happy birthday to you!"

Sakuno Ryuzaki grinned bashfully as she prepared to suck in a deep breath when one of her birthday guests yelled, "Don't forget to make a wish!"

Sakuno smiled, "I won't!" she said before closing her eyes and blowing out every one of the eighteen candles. The room was engulfed in darkness but everyone's bright smiles were still visible. A whoop of cheers erupted as several people stepped up to give her a congratulatory slap.

"Way to go, Sakuno-san!" Horio winked and gave her a thumbs up. Tomoka cheered happily.

"Oi, you kids are growing up so fast," Momoshiro pretended to pout. Eiji slung an arm around his shoulders and joined in the sobbing, "Nyaa, I feel so old now!"

Fuji placed a hand on the birthday girl's shoulder, "We're very happy for you." He gestured towards the remaining ex-Seigaku regulars, who smiled appreciatively. Even Kaidoh managed to drop his usual scowl and manage a soft face.

"Alright now," Sumire said as she flicked the lights back on, "You guys think it's about time we open presents?"

Instantly, Momo and Eiji cheered up, "HAI! I'LL GO FIRST!" they said in unison, before stopping and glaring at each other. "Ne, what's the big idea? I said I'd go first! Oi, stop copying me! Hey!"

Tezuka rolled his eyes while everyone else laughed. As the night went on, Sakuno only got happier and happier. The presents were magnificent, and more that she could have asked for. The entire ex-Seigaku regular team got her new shoes, a bag with her name engraved on it, and a card with a photo of all of them, Sumire, the team, Horio, Tomoka, her, and most importantly, Ryoma. Under it was a message that read: "Sakuno-chan, arigatou for all the work you've done for us. You've always cheered us on and gave us help and support when we needed it, not to mention your onigiris were delicious! Yum! Anyways, we've decided that since you've been cheering for us for so long, it's our turn to root for you. Good luck with your tournament, and wishing you the best of birthdays. – Takeshi Momoshiro, Eiji Kikumaru, Kunimitsu Tezuka, Shuichiro Oishi, Shusuke Fuji, Takashi Kawamura, Sadahara Inui, and Kaoru Kaidoh." Attached to the present were several little trinkets, such as a rose from Fuji, a can of powdered Penal Tea from Inui (to which Sakuno didn't feel so grateful for), a teddy from Eiji and Momoshiro, and money from the other members. Sakuno felt her eyes water. She really didn't deserve all this stuff.

Among the other presents was a shiny new Head racket from Sumire, a teddy bear wearing tennis gear from Horio, a photo album with pictures and memories in it from Tomoka, and several other things. After presents the group enjoyed cake, and Sumire didn't need to worry about leftovers because Fuji cleaned up all the excess slices…even the frosting on the plates.

Horio had switched on the TV with his buddies and were watching a fierce doubles game, with Horio acting as a second announcer, lording over everyone with his "years" of tennis experience. The rest of the night was spent laughing and socializing. Even the usual cold Tezuka managed to crack a smile here and there.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting the conversations and Horio's secondary announcing. Sumire cocked an eyebrow, "My, now who could that be and at this hour?" she moved swiftly to the door and opened it, revealing three people wrapped heavily in jackets. The group fell silent and stared at them.

"Ah, glad to see the party's still going on!" one of the newcomers said, "Oh! Sakuno-chan, happy birthday!" Without further ado, the figure let himself in and motioned for the two others to do the same. They removed their hats, shoes, and coats to reveal…

"Nanjirou?" Sumire blinked. Behind him, Nanako and Rinko bowed. "We're sorry for not being able to make it earlier," they said. "Yeah," Nanjirou added, "It's snowing like a crazy person out there. Traffic was terrible. Took us forever to get here!"

The three were gladly welcomed in and launched into conversation instantly, as if they had been there the whole time. Horio and the ex-Seigaku regulars asked how Ryoma was, while Sakuno and Tomoka went to fix them a little hot chocolate and dessert as compensation for not having any cake to share with them. Fuji sweat dropped. As the night wore on, Rinko looked startled as if she remembered something and hurriedly whispered in her husband's ear. At first he didn't catch his wife's words, but after a few moments it sank in.

"Aiyah!" he leapt to his feet, "How could I have forgotten? Sakuno! Sakuno-san, we've got something for you!"

"Hai?" the young girl said as she came out of the kitchen with a tray of cocoa and sweets. Tomoka had to step in to stop Fuji, Momo, and Eiji from attacking it. "You already had your share," she said sternly. The trio whimpered and withdrew.

Nanjirou smiled and pulled an envelope out of his pocket, "Here. Your present. Happy Birthday."

Sakuno stared at it for a few seconds. "A-Arigatou…" Slowly, she took it from his large, calloused hands and examined it. "To: Sakuno Ryuzaki, From: The Echizen Family." Curious, she ripped off the top and extracted its contents.

Two tickets to the Australian Open fell into her hands, as well as two airplane tickets.

"T-This is…" Sakuno gasped.

Horio came over to get a better look at it, "Wowie," he whistled, "Those are some really nice seats! Box ones too! And they're for the finals, last round. And check those airplane tickets! First class!" His unibrow wriggled together in envy.

"A-Are these," Sakuno held them delicately between her porcelain fingers, "Are these for me?" Rinko nodded. "But…why?"

"That boy sent us those tickets," Nanjirou yawned and stretched, "But he sends us tickets every year and for every Grand Slam, since he's always competing in them. It's ridiculously tiring. Doesn't he have any compassion for his family, especially his wonderful father?"

Nanako rolled her eyes and pushed her uncle out of the way, "See, Sakuno-chan, Ryoma sends us those tickets all the time and we figured we'd take a break from it this year and decided to give the tickets to you."

"Besides," Rinko added, "We'll be fine with cheering from our own home. So what do you say, dear? Will you take those tickets?"

Sakuno looked at her hands. _Tickets_ to the _actual_ Australian Open? And for private seating, nonetheless! Why, that was too much! She didn't know what to do. She didn't deserve such tickets, but then again it was rude to refuse a gift. '_I guess I have no choice then…_' "H-Hai. I'll go." The room cheered in approval. "A-Ano, but what about the other ticket? What should I do with that?"

"Take whoever you like."

Sakuno looked at her grandma, but she shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry, Sakuno, but I'm getting a little too old for airplanes and such. And I'll need to stay at home to tend to the house." Sakuno looked at the ex-Seigaku regulars, but they all shook their heads. They had jobs and stuff to do.

"Ne," Horio stepped up, "I'll take the other ticket, Sakuno-san! I've always wanted to see the Australian Open finals- and Ryoma's playing in it, too!"

"Hai," Sakuno smiled and handed him the tickets.

"Alright, it's decided then," Nanjirou said, "Sakuno-chan, Horio-kun, we're counting on you two to cheer on Ryoma for us. The plane leaves in a few days, so you'll have plenty of time to pack. Got it? Good. Ja, well, without further ado, let's continue the party!" He thrust a fist in the air before diving at the plate of sweets and cocoa Sakuno and Tomoka brought out from earlier, much to Nanako's and Rinko's embarrassment.

"Honey, you shouldn't eat so fast."

"Uncle, you're embarrassing me!"

Everyone laughed.

* * *

Ryoma Echizen yawned and stretched his arms high over his head, relishing the feel as his back muscles tightened and relaxed. When was the last time he got a massage? God, he needed one now. It was common for athletes to occasionally receive massages due to all the heavy and strenuous stress they put themselves under, and without some means of soothing the muscles, they would be more prone to tearing or spraining.

It was 8am, and the young tennis star was in his multi-million dollar mansion was in his study going over his e-mail. Nobody knew his real e-mail address, except for his close friends and family. He kept a separate one for fan mail and another one for business affairs. As he logged in, a message on the front page informed him that he had one new message. Ryoma clicked on it. It was from Momoshiro.

"_Hey, kiddo! What's up?_

_Yeah, just writing in to tell you what's been going on these past few days. Everything's been pretty cool. Inui managed to get a deal with a sports drink company to manufacture his Penal Tea (EWW!). Kawamura says it's 'cuz he threatened the CEO to drink some if he didn't agree. Hehe. Anyhow, everyone's been doing well, and some of the senpais are getting ready to graduate from college. By the way, you know those tickets you sent to your pop and your mom? They said they appreciate it, but this year they'd like to take a break from traveling and are going to give the tickets to someone else, if that's alright with you. Well, then again they sort of already gave them away but whatever. They said they'll be rooting for you at home, but all in all everything's pretty much the same._

_Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, do you remember Sakuno Ryuzaki? Coach Ryuzaki's granddaughter? Yeah, you know, that pig-tailed girl who used to cheer us on at matches and make lunches for you? She's entering her first tournament. It's called the Tokyo City Cup _(**A/N:** Okay fine, lame name, I know. Just bear with it, please? Thank you)_ and it's for amateurs and pros, but I think mostly amateurs are participating cuz the prize money is relatively small. And there's going to be some scouts there so it's more of an opportunity for amateurs who want to go pro. So yeah, she's going to be participating in it. But it's not like she wanted to, initially. Tomoka (loud girl) tricked her into it. As for the team, here, we're not sure how good she'll do since no one's seen her play tennis in a while, but we're rooting for her. You should too :)._

_She just celebrated her eighteenth birthday, too. It was fun. There was tons of cake and yummy food. Her cooking has gotten waaayy better than middle school, I'll have you know. She's grown a lot since you've last seen her. I've included a few photos Fuji and the others took of the party. Enjoy._

_Sincerely,_

_Momoshiro Takeshi_"

Tch, who did that idiot think he was? Of course Ryoma remember that pig-tailed girl.

Sakuno Ryuzaki.

His face softened. He hadn't seen her since that day he left for America so many years ago… Of course, he did return to Japan sometimes, but even then it was only for a short time and during his visits he never saw her. Ryoma always assumed it was because she was attending college or something of the sort, so he never really bothered about asking about her. Besides, it would have been odd for the stoic Prince of Tennis to show concern for someone other than his family.

But still, he couldn't say that he _didn't_ remember her. In fact, he did think about her occasionally. All those times she made lunch for him, when he'd used to coach her, and when she'd attend his practices and games. It was kind of hard to believe that Wobbly Hips was 18 now, and entering her first tournament. It gave him a nostalgic feeling.

Sometimes, when he was practicing, he'd glance at the side, thinking he'd seen her at the fence watching him. But it was just his imagination. Or when he played a game almost by instinct his eyes swept over the crowd in search of the familiar cheerleader and her loud friend, but to no avail.

Ryoma moved his mouse upwards and opened the file Momo attached. Instantly, his screen was filled with little thumbnails and he clicked on one randomly. It was a picture of Momo and Eiji fighting over the last piece of chicken. Ryoma smirked. Both men had their chopsticks aimed and poised at each other, glaring with determined eyes, but both failed to notice a subtle Horio reaching forward to grab it. After a few more moments of observing, he closed it and clicked the next one.

In this picture, Sumire was arm wrestling Nanjirou. Nanako and his mother were in the background with blushes.

Oro? His family was there? Ah, whatever. Ignoring the thought, Ryoma moved on.

The next picture caught him by surprise.

It was Sakuno.

She was wearing a fancy yet elegant top with lacy trimmings and a flirty but sophisticated denim, pencil skirt. Her hair was no longer in two long plaits, but rather one giant, messy and casual bun. She didn't look like she was wearing makeup, but if she was it was probably a little mascara and some blush, maybe even a bit of Chap Stick. He could tell she had grown…grown a _lot_. Her face had lost its roundness and was replaced by an angled, foxy kind of look. He could still tell it was her, but she had a new matureness and femininity about her that defined her from being a cute little girl to a sophisticated, respectable lady. She wasn't voluptuous and drop-dead gorgeous, but tolerable and pleasing to the eye, and had slender, graceful curves.

Ryoma felt him staring at it longer than expected as memories of his youth flooded back to him.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Review, review! And thank you all so much, I appreciate your support! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'll get the next one up as fast as I can. Again, thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis does not belong to me.

**Author's Note:** WOW. Where have I been for the past like three years? I have no idea HAHA. I guess I just got really busy around that time and then lost interest in it… but now I'm back with a vengeance! …Hopefully. Please forgive me for making you guys wait so long, and if any fans are still alive I shower you with endless loves and affections. Again, I'm picking this up after like three years, so my tennis knowledge as well as PoT familiarity has pretty much degenerated to squat, so excuse any OOC moments. Trying to get back into it, though, bear with me. And enjoy!  


* * *

The humid, Australian air washed over her face like a warm breath. They had just gotten off the plane and through customs, and were now waiting outside the airport for a cab. Sakuno was a bit nervous, since from their arrival she and Horio had to speak in English, which they rarely exercised outside of school. It also didn't help that the English that the Australians spoke was accented differently and had many terms that she didn't understand. Thankfully, her accent wasn't as heavy as she thought, and her communication was competent enough to assist Horio, who unfortunately wasn't faring so well.

As soon as they made it through the terminals, Sakuno inhaled deeply and took in her first sights of the foreign country. There were people of all shapes and colors- a variety she had never seen before in Japan. But then again the population there tended to homogenous: black hair, brown eyes. Here the people had blue eyes, green, hazel, gray, blonde hair, sandy hair, freckles, and all sorts of other curious traits. The air was unusually hot, despite it being January, and Sakuno found herself unconsciously using her informational brochure as a fan. Beside her, Horio was trying to hail a taxi.

Sakuno looked down at the envelope behind her brochure. It contained their two tickets to the Australian Open, hotel information, and directions to a restaurant they were to meet Ryoma at. A blush crept its way onto the girl's cheeks. Before they left, Nanjirou-san had told her that Ryoma was aware that the Echizens had given their tickets away, but to whom he didn't know. Nanjirou had decided to make it a pleasant surprise for the boy and had just told him that "two very dedicated fans were very eager to meet him". Initially Ryoma had flat out refused, fans were a pain enough for him as it was, but Nanjirou's persistent nagging and Rinko's coaxing finally made him give in and arrange to meet them the day after they arrived at 7:00, which also happened to be the first day of the tournament.

"I hope he remembers me..." Sakuno wondered aloud.

"What are you talking about, Sakuno-chan?" Horio raised his unibrow, "Ryoma? Of course he does! He recognized your name when I mentioned it during one of his visits a few months ba-OH, TAXI! TAXI!" Horio shouted and waved his arms. The cab slowed to a stop before them before the driver got out to help Horio load their luggage into the trunk. Sakuno blushed even harder as she shyly settled herself in the backseat.. They talked about her around Ryoma?

"Where to, mate?" The driver yawned as he adjusted his rear view mirror, pausing to glance at Sakuno longer than usual. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Err, this hotel," Horio said with strangled English as he took the hotel's information from Sakuno and handed it to the driver.

The driver raised his brows and whistled, "Goin' there, huh? Real nice place. You two heirs or somethin?"

"N-No," Sakuno wove her fingers together unsurely, "a friend of ours reserved rooms for us there."

"Really?" the cabby began to drive toward their destination, "Your friend must be a pretty big shot person, then."

"Yes, he is!" Horio broke into the conversation, "He's Ryoma Echizen, do you know him?"

Sakuno's eyes widened, "H-Horio-san!"

The cab suddenly came to a screeching halt and several cars around them swerved and honked their horns angrily. The taxi driver maneuvered his way to the side of the road and whirled around, gazing at them with wide eyes. "Y-YOU KNOW _THE_ RYOMA ECHIZEN? _The tennis __**legend **_Ryoma Echizen?! You're bluffing!"

"The one and only," Horio grinned, "I'm his best friend! I pretty much kind of introduced him to the whole tennis scene when we were in middle school." Sakuno glared and elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch!" Horio gave her a hurt expression.

The driver still couldn't overcome his shock, "Woowie..." he turned his gaze to Sakuno and studied her, "So... are you his girlfriend?"

"EH?!" Sakuno's eyes widened in shock, "No! I am not!"

"I see, I see," the driver nodded, but the hint of a smirk on his lips said otherwise.

"Horio-kun," Sakuno reverted back to their native language of Japanese, "I don't think we should go around saying we know Ryoma-kun anymore. It might get us into trouble!"

"Why not?" Horio frowned, "I think it'll get us some good benefits-OOF!" He rubbed the spot where she just elbowed him, "Alright, alright. I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

The brunette smiled, "Arigatou!"  


* * *

"The presidential suite?! I-Isn't that the most expensive room in this hotel?"

Horio nodded, pale faced and holding a room key in his hands as if it were the most fragile thing in the world. He could hardly believe it either. The two of them, just average students from Japan, were going to stay at the most luxurious room in one of the finest, five-star hotels Australia had to offer.

"Um… Sakuno-chan," Horio began unsurely, "Are we going to be sleeping in the same room?" He showed her the single room key the receptionist had given him. Sakuno's eyes widened.

Of course! Ryoma made the arrangements for his parents, so naturally they'd sleep in the same room. But now that meant she and Horio… ACK! Sakuno shook her head vigorously to rid herself of such dreadful thoughts. Well, maybe they could rent an extra room. A quick look around the extravagant, expensive looking lobby silenced that notion. Neither she nor Horio brought enough to rent a room at this place for even two nights, let alone two weeks. And the cheaper hotels were several blocks away- it'd be too much of a hassle for them to meet. Plus it wouldn't be fair if one person stayed in the nice room and another was in some run-down motel.

"I-I guess we have no choice," Sakuno blushed furiously and looked at the floor. Horio too diverted his attention to the hotel's magnificent marble as they dragged their luggage to the elevator.

Another man was waiting there. He wore an expensive, French dress shirt with matching, dark slacks that complimented a certain rear area of his anatomy quite nicely. Not to mention the sheer material of his white top allowed her a sumptuous view of the rippling muscles that lay underneath. Sakuno looked away in embarrassment, but much to her horror she couldn't help but drift her gaze back to finish studying the man. His belt and shoes were also of prime, Italian quality. A pair of very pricey sunglasses shielded his face from recognition, yet for some reason Sakuno couldn't help but feel she had met him some place before. That dark, violet hair… that haughty, superior aura… impeccable, porcelain skin. She noticed his luggage being carried by a bellboy, and among them was a tennis bag.

Ah! A tennis player. He must have been one of Ryoma's opponents, yet she couldn't quite put a finger on his name… The man suddenly looked up and glanced in her direction. Sakuno froze. Did he feel her staring at him? The heat rose swiftly to her cheeks and she turned away swiftly, slipping behind Horio in a frail attempt to hide her embarrassment.

One of the man's single, perfect eyebrows raised in interest. Hm? Was that girl staring at him? Well, he wouldn't blame her. Ore-sama was magnificent after all. He smirked. Ah, the pain of being beautiful!

Yet… for some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off her as well. There really wasn't anything interesting about her, she was cute, he would admit, but he'd seen better. Though those cherry-colored lips and bright, doleful brown eyes were quite charming… But then why did he feel like she was so familiar? Was she a fan? Maybe, but then why didn't she approach him? Ah, probably a shy little bunny.

"The elevator has arrived, sir," the bellboy bowed.

"Hey, look Sakuno-chan the elevator's here!" Horio rushed towards it with a little too much enthusiasm, "Waa, it's so spacious!"

"A-Ano, you forgot your things, Horio-kun!" she sighed and went after him, lugging twice the load. Despite her tennis-toned arms, Horio had a lot of stuff.

"Oh?" the man thought to himself. Sakuno, Sakuno… that name definitely rang a bell. It wasn't a very loud bell, unfortunately. "You," he leaned to his assistant, "Go help that girl out over there."

The bellboy bowed, "Right away sir."

"A-Ah! Thank you?" Sakuno blinked as her things were easily lifted onto a cart and wheeled into the grand elevator.

"Sir requested it," he motioned for her to follow him inside the elevator, where the very elegant man she had been ogling two seconds before stood smirking.

"O-Oh, t-thank you very much!" Sakuno bowed deeply, and in all her embarrassment had accidentally reverted to Japanese.

"It's alright," the man surprised her by responding in equally fluent Japanese, "Ore-sama is willing to assist cute young ladies as yourself."

The blush on her cheeks darkened. Wait a minute, Ore-sama? Wasn't he-?

"OI, YOU'RE KEIGO ATOBE!" Horio's jaw dropped.

Atobe smirked, satisfied that they recognized him, "Being recognized left and right," he faked a dramatic voice and took off his sunglasses, revealing piercing eyes, "Ore-sama can never have any time for himself!"

"YOU'RE THE GUY RYOMA BEAT IN THE NATIONALS!"

Had he been drinking anything, Atobe would have spit it out immediately. He glared death daggers at Horio.

A quiet voice interrupted the two, "Thank you for helping me."

Atobe glanced at the source of the voice. Ah, that girl, Sakuno was it? "You're very welcome, little rabbit." He winked. Sakuno couldn't understand why she couldn't stop blushing.

Horio snorted and stepped in front of her, "Lay off of Sakuno-chan, you! Or Ryoma will kick your butt again like at nationals!"

"Horio-kun!"

"What?! Why you little-!"

"Sir, we have arrived at your floor."

"Ah," Atobe calmed and shook himself, replacing the sunglasses on his face, "Thank you. Well, it was nice meeting you two. Especially you, little rabbit."

The elevator door closed to the sound of Horio's protests.

* * *

"Sugoi..." Sakuno breathed. Horio gulped audibly, also seemingly overcome by the weight of the situation. They arrived at their room, which was guarded by a pair of wide, ivory double doors gilded with gold in an intricate, French pattern.

"Holy…" Horio's jaw dropped as soon as he had unlocked the door. Instantly, the both of them were greeted by a vast living room with sparkling, marble tiles. It was as if someone had taken pure gold and diamonds, ground them up, and sprinkled the dust about the floor. The décor was Victorian, but not overly crowded to the point where it was tacky- it was rather simplistic, yet each single object was so fine and so detailed that the room exhumed elegance. It even had an upstairs section! The place was probably bigger than her house! How could Ryoma's parents be tired of such treatment?!

After overcoming their initial shock, Horio had instantly thrown himself onto the plush couch and excitedly flipped on the enormous, wide screen television, marveling in its surround sound and high definition quality picture. Sakuno, on the other hand, slowly explored the chamber and found that it had a fireplace, bookshelf with plenty of tasteful reading material, dining area, kitchen, mini spa, bathroom that looked big enough to serve up to three families and then some, and an elaborate master bedroom complete with dressers and other amenities.

Sakuno couldn't help herself and giggled as she threw herself onto the giant, king-sized bed. The puffy blankets sunk beneath her weight and it felt as if she were laying on clouds instead of comforters. Sakuno sighed contentedly and rolled onto her side when a familiar voice interrupted her reverie.

"Oi, Sakuno-chan!" Horio's shouted.

"Hai?" Sakuno called as she hurried off the bed and into the living room, where she found her friend sprawled out on a bed where the couch used to be.

"Look, the couch doubles as a fold-out bed! And it's super comfy too, I think it's one of those memory foam mattresses." He grinned and demonstrated its properties to her, "So I guess we don't have to share a bed, heh." A light blush adorned his cheeks, "You can take the bedroom then, Sakuno-chan. I'm perfectly content here with the TV."

Sakuno giggled and shook her head, "That's alright, just don't waste your entire stay by watching it."

"Kay!"

* * *

"We're late, we're late!"

Sakuno panted as she and Horio, who was ambling along quite dazedly, ran to the stadium. Horio had stayed up too late watching television, like she had predicted, and overslept. Sakuno, too, was guilty of enjoying the bed's plush comforts a little too long. They had scrambled awake just in time- the opening ceremonies were just about to start!

They pushed passed several people, easing their way into their seats.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Down in front!"

"Sorry, excuse me! I'm sorry!"

Horio and Sakuno sat quickly and quietly, eager to shrug off all the attention they just garnered.

"Wow," the auburn haired boy whistled, "This is really a nice view. Not too high up yet not too low, you can see everything perfectly. And it's in the shade!"

"I wonder who's going to be playing the opening game," Sakuno leaned forward, awed by the great expanse that was the stadium. She had really never seen anything like it. She had heard that the stadium had a massive retractable roof. Amazing…

Just then, a wave of screams and cheers erupted from the crowd.

"S-Sakuno-chan! Look who it is!"

"E-Eh?" the girl glanced at the courts.

Brown eyes widened.

There, stood the boy she hadn't seen in four years.

The boy, no, the man who had become every tennis player's dream and rival.

The pride of Japan.

His name was barely a whisper on her lips.

"Ryoma-kun…"  


* * *

A clunk echoed in the hallway as an icy can of soda fell from the vending machine and into its dispenser. A calloused hand retrieved the beverage and popped open the top slowly, allowing all the excess pressure to clear out first in order to avoid having the soda spill over, before bringing its contents to the owner's lips and taking long sips of the sweet liquid.

"Hey Echizen, it's not good to drink so many sodas all the time. It'll ruin your body, and you won't have any hope of achieving the same beauty as Ore-sama."

Golden, cat-eyes flicked in the direction of the newcomer, who stood leaning against a wall, impeccable smirk on his flawless face. He too was dressed in tennis clothes, except his were of a fancier brand than Ryoma's, so prim and freshly pressed that it made Ryoma's gear look secondhand. Ah, it was the old captain of Hyotei Secondary Academy's tennis team.

"Keigo Atobe," the young tennis star grumbled as he took another gulp of his grape Fanta, "I'll take my chances."

The dark haired man crossed his arms over his chest, "If you insist. At least you will further accentuate my dazzling looks when we compete during the finals."

"Unless I play you beforehand."

"With my prowess and your skill it's obvious who the two best players here are, and those event organizers are fully aware of that. They're going to save the best for last."

"Mada mada da ne," Ryoma waved him off and threw his now empty soda can into the recycling bin.

Atobe sighed and flicked a stray hair from his face, "Oh, and I forgot to mention, I ran into two of your friends this afternoon at the Plaza (**A/N:** Totally made that up.), and I must say that female friend of yours is rather cute. It's not every day that Ore-sama focuses his attention on some common girl. Just to let you know, I'll be taking an interest in her from now on."

Ryoma blinked and cocked his head in confusion as the older male walked off. Female friend? Who was he talking about? Ah, probably one of his assistants or something. Nothing of his concern. He picked up his things and walked out towards the stadium.

As soon as he stepped out onto the courts, a gigantic screech greeted his ears. Fan girls held up their posters, dotting the crowd with blatant, neon declarations of love, while others whooped and threw their snacks and drinks up in joy at the sight of their idol.

As a habit, his eyes did a sweep of the audience and came to rest on a certain spot he always reserved from his parents. They weren't there, he knew, but he was just curious as to who they decided to give their tickets to.

"I KNOW HIM, I KNOW RYOMA ECHIZEN! WE WERE BEST FRIENDS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL!"

Ah, him.

Ryoma could spot that familiar unibrow from miles away, and that loud announcer tone too. He smirked as he saw the people around him plug their ears in annoyance. A young woman sat beside Horio, face blushing a furious shade of crimson, trying desperately to shush him. There was something oddly familiar about her and those two braids she wore her auburn hair in…

Ryoma's eyes widened.

"Ryuuzaki?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yaa... Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you! This chapter will be my special treat to you, even though nothing really happened. Atobe was introduced at least, hoho. Love triangle? What about Horio? A SQUARE? No, just kidding hehe. Please review! Again, terribly sorry for my prolonged absence.


End file.
